A group of climate scientists with intimate knowledge of these dire circumstances have written a refreshingly blunt letter to the heads of Australia’s coal industry:

Evidence is mounting that climate change is occurring faster than previously predicted and we are perilously close to a number of tipping points which, if passed, would amplify the effects of climate change and make it much more difficult to bring further warming under control. We cannot emphasize enough just how serious the situation has become.

Their bottom line:

Unfortunately, the development of carbon capture and storage technology is not sufficiently advanced and is unlikely to be deployable within the timeframe necessary to cut emissions in order to avoid unacceptable levels of greenhouse gas concentrations and associated warming.

It is our considered view that no new coal-fired power stations, except ones that have ZERO emissions, should be allowed to be commissioned in Australia. Furthermore, we need an urgent program to replace existing coal plants with zero-carbon energy sources and energy efficiency programs as soon as possible….

Genuine action on climate change will mean that coal-fired power stations cease to operate in the near future.”

Amen.How serious will the situation have to get before leaders in the big polluting nations, such as ours, come to the same conclusion.

Senate energy legislation may require a major new assessment of offshore energy resources that would encompass fossil fuels and potential for alternative energy such as wind and wave power, sources on and off Capitol Hill say.

The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee tentatively plans to mark up oil and gas provisions of a major energy bill the week of May 18.

The oil and gas section of the bill has received less attention to date compared to provisions on renewable electricity, transmission, clean energy financing and other issues. Committee leaders have not yet unveiled a draft of the oil and gas section.

But Robert Dillon, a spokesman for ranking member Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), said lawmakers are eyeing ways to update assessments of energy potential on the outer continental shelf (OCS). “It is renewables too,” he said.

An environmental lobbyist tracking the bill also said the committee plans to seek an OCS assessment that would explore energy, and a range of other issues, such as coastal economies and recreation.

A spokesman for Chairman Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.) said oil and gas provisions are under development but declined comment when asked about inclusion of an inventory provision.

Bingaman has previously said that a better assessment of offshore oil and gas potential should occur in order to make informed decisions about future leasing policy (Greenwire, Nov. 17, 2008).

The Southeast has enough renewable resources to meet the 25 percent renewable-power mandate proposed by draft House energy and climate legislation, according to a new assessment by environmental groups.

The report was released today as lawmakers negotiate over whether to scale back the renewable electricity standard in the bill sponsored by Energy and Commerce Chairman Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) and Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.).

A dozen or so moderate and conservative committee Democrats want to lower the target. Southeastern lawmakers, who say their states could not meet the targets, say their districts would face higher costs because utilities would be forced to buy credits or make other payments.

But the World Resources Institute paper argues the target is more than achievable, finding that renewable energy could supply as much as 30 percent of the region’s power needs within 15 years.

Secretary of Energy Stephen Chu announced $93 million in funding for American wind energy research and development on Wednesday, part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

“The goal is to set America on a course for a secure and sustainable energy future,” Mr. Chu said to a crowd assembled at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colo. The secretary restated President Obama’s target of generating 10 percent (PDF) of the nation’s electricity from renewables by 2012.

According to energy department statistics, in 2008, wind energy accounted for 42 percent of all new energy generation capacity in the United States.

Of nearly $100 billion in stimulus funds for energy, $26 billion have been authorized for clean energy projects since mid-February, Mr. Chu said. The Department of Energy’s goal is to award 70 percent of this total by Labor Day.

Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska has decided to accept all federal stimulus money her state is eligible for, with one exception: the nearly $29 million for the state energy office.

Ms. Palin has rejected the state energy office funds out of concern that it would obligate Alaska to enact more stringent building codes. “Alaska’s vast expanse and differing conditions are not conducive to a federally mandated, universal energy code,” she said in a statement.

Look at big oil. We know their industry destroys lives, countries, and now our planet. America hates them, but yet they exist because we need them. Coal power fits this problem exactly. We need them for the next several decades, so they will continue to destroy our planet. At least we can hate them, right?

Australia needs to convert its coal plants to biocarbon fuel, oxyfuel combustion, and deep injection of the resulting CO2. This would change Australia’s coal plants into “carbon negative” power plants.

The Australians already have an oxyfuel demonstration project planned, and are in the process of converting their “Callide-A” power plant to oxy-fuel combustion plus deep injection of CO2. Their Callide-A power plant idea is already dated a little- according to recent results from Jupiter Oxygen and NETL, it appears to be possible to minimize or eliminate the exhaust gas recirculation step, and just accept the higher flame temperatures – and higher efficiency – that oxy-fuel combustion offers.

Australian forests are said to be adapted to fire, and species of Eucalyptus are said to use fire against other species to compete for sunlight and nutrients. Needless to say, this natural system is getting out of control.

These out of control forests need to be harvested for biocarbon, and fire protected by cutting firebreaks through them and clearing them of combustible undergrowth. The resulting biomass, along with biomass from agricultural waste, municipal trash, manure, and so on, could be carbonized to charcoal, and the charcoal compressed to form biocarbon pellets. These biocarbon pellets could then be burned in existing coal fired power plants just like coal.

Biocarbon fuel, oxyfuel combustion and carbon capture and sequestration, if coupled with replanting of biomass can be a complete system for transferring carbon back underground, provided it is all done correctly, with that goal in mind.

Australia should retrofit their existing coal plants to oxyfuel and deep injection, and drastically increase production of biocarbon. They should also harvest their forests sustainably and fire protect them, and then burn the resulting biocarbon in their converted coal plants, resulting in “carbon negative” emissions from these plants.

Australia, one of the world’s largest coal exporters, could transform themselves into the world’s largest biocarbon “green coal substitute” exporter, and export their oxy-fuel technology and their biocarbon “green coal substitute” to China and their other present coal customers.

If there is a place on the planet well situated to benefit from clean energy technologies it has to be Australia. They have a vast amount of sunlit space suitable for concentrated solar power. They have shallow continental shelves suitable for offshore wind. They have excellent conditions for enhanced geothermal power. Finally they have a relatively well educated population.

Unfortunately they also have an economy subsidized by huge exports of coal to China. The challenge in Australia wouldn’t be getting solar panels up on roofs but will be forgoing the economic subsidy coal exports provide to every Australian.